Porsche Shakes the EV Tree with 15-minute Charge Time

Porsche Taycan promises to bring serious electric vehicle performance both on the road and at the charging station.

Porsche hasn’t rushed into the electric vehicle game just to get something to market. It’s been a considered approach, and instead of playing on the economical or ecological sides of electric ownership, Porsche is doing what Porsche does and the Taycan will have the soul of a real Porsche sports car. 600 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time south of 3.5 seconds, then on to to 124 mph in under 12 seconds and using the batteries to lower the centre of gravity and balance the car bear that out.

However, as wonderful as the Taycan may be, one of the biggest issues for consumers when it comes to electric vehicles is the charging times. And, according to Fortune, Porsche will be able to charge 80% of its battery in just 15 minutes. That fast-charging time undercuts just about every other EV on the market right now. Fortune is quick to point out that it’s half the time a Tesla driver spends at a supercharger to get the same charge.

That’s charging time is a big deal. Half an hour is a long time to wait before getting on with a journey. 15 minutes is still a long time compared with filling up with gas at the pump, but, as Porsche Cars N.A. president and CEO, Klaus Zellmer, points out, “… Is almost the same if you fill up your gas tank and have a cup of coffee.”

Fortune also mentions that Porsche are getting into the electric car racing Formula E next year, which is something we’re really excited about. Porsche clearly isn’t getting into the EV business for the tree-hugging, but instead they are using electric motors as a performance option. Taking part in a still new and evolving racing series using technologies that as still in their infancy should see the developments filter down into the road cars quickly. Saying that though, the Taycan does already looks like it’s going to be a benchmark for performance EVs straight out of the gate.

Join the Rennlist forums!

Ian Wright

Ian Wright has been a professional automotive writer for over two years and is a regular contributor to Corvette Forum, Jaguar Forums, and 6SpeedOnline, among other popular auto sites.

Ian's obsession with cars started young and has left him stranded miles off-road in Land Rovers, being lost far from home in hot hatches, going sideways in rallycross cars, being propelled forward in supercars and, more sensibly, standing in fields staring at classic cars. His first job was as a mechanic, then he trained as a driving instructor before going into media production.

The automotive itch never left though, and he realized writing about cars is his true calling. However, that doesn’t stop Wright from also hosting the Both Hand Drive podcast.

Ian can be reached at bothhanddrive@gmail.com